The Fall of House Greyheart
Stormwind. I hardly remember the city from when I was last here. Then again I was still much the boy as I was when I arrived and left. Now I finally return to Stormwind City as a man. I don’t anticipate to run into a familiar face nor have someone pick me out in a crowd. Well all accept for one. Sir Vesstan my loyal bodyguard and protector for the last twenty-five years had been sent on ahead months prior to my arrival. His goal was to search for clues to a secret cult responsible for the death of my parents, and find an organization that I could lay low and go unnoticed while I prepare for what is to come. I’ll be honest the eagerness to set forth plans that had been set years ago felt good. My tour with the Argent Crusade had come to an end and now the hunt for my parent’s revenge and to find my missing sister who was taken by this mysterious cult. My only hope is that I can continue this masquerade of being the “Grey Knight”. For everyone around me House Greyheart is not even a distant memory, but for me it’s very much alive as it once was. Let’s hope I can make it as great as it once was.
Lordaeron 25 years earlier…
For the Greyheart family it was a bit of an odd night throughout our home. Most nights my parents spent hours arguing and oddly enough it was what helped me fall asleep. They rarely argued over anything meaningful. I believe my father started the arguments just because he had his fill for the day from picking on his lackeys. Though to be completely honest it was the fourth night in a roll I found myself leaning against my window looking out towards the Great Sea and wondering what life might be like out at sea.
The fourth night that I struggled to fall asleep. The fourth night that a shadow lurked in the back of my mind and the fourth night I found myself worried about the safety of my family. I had this feeling something bad was coming our way. The things my father had done I knew could only go on for so long until someone came looking for blood. It was also the fourth night that my sister successfully scared me…
”Still having trouble falling asleep!” Ariel asked as she appeared hanging down in front of my window.
“Ariel! Damnit! You keep this up and I’ll more than likely be pulling you up from the ground and not into my room!” I quietly shouted at her.
Of the two of us she was often bold and did not shy away from risk. It often bothered her that I rarely took any. I tried to explain that it was largely due to the fact that I didn’t want to bring more trouble to our family, but she’d just respond with a yawn and accuse me of making excuses. Truth be told she knew me better than anyone and knew what I was thinking most of the time, but what can one expect when we’re both twins?
“Come on Cyrelian, this is four nights in a role I’ve found you awake as late as me. You’re usually tucked in bed and snoring by now. So what’s bugging you? And this time nothing won’t work, I know something is bothering you I can see it in your eyes.” She said as she danced around my bed and swung around on my bed post.
We might have been twins. We might have been able to sense when the other was in trouble and we might have been a lot alike in certain areas…but there were some areas that we were completely different. She was more outgoing and always seemed like she was on the go. Never a moment did she want to sit down. Me I was always calm. Always reading and learning. After security got tighter around the house and my father forbid my sister and I to leave I was always in the library, studying, reading, learning everything I can about what was beyond my estate and the desire to explore it.
Ariel on the other hand was always finding a way to sneak out after dark or even during the day. Asking her to sit still for a few minutes was asking too much out of her and I could barely blame her as a part of me was crying out to do the things she was doing.
“Have you noticed our parents haven’t argued the last couple of nights? Or how things have been too quiet around here? Have you also noticed how security has gotten a lot tighter around here and the new men our father has hired?” I began to ask her as I sat down on the bed, my head resting in my hands as they clenched at my hair.
If you spent a day on the Greyheart Estates you would know that there was never a dull moment that it wasn’t quiet. My father was always yelling at someone, or he was always in his study holding secret meetings. Our mother was around us some, but you could see the depression in her eyes and the strain that our father had put on their marriage. Ariel would never admit it, but I could see that our mother had given up on the marriage and our father. Though I know why she constantly argued or did certain things. It was all for his love and attention. Something she thought she once got from him, though if she were truly honest I believe she would tell you he never has. Around the estate and other parts of Lordaeron my mother was among the most beautiful women and rumor had it that she was merely a hired maid to work for my father. Though my father argued that she was a noble woman of a noble family, but such evidence had never been shown. Though at the matter at hand I could tell my sister was already disinterested in my concerns or at least already bored it was clear in her face and her response to me.
“So what Cyrelian? So it’s a little quieter than it has been? Mother and father have not argued in a couple of days…And so what dad has hired new henchmen to do his dirty work for him? None of this is bad Cyrelian. More help means less trouble. No fighting from mother and father means that they might be actually getting along. We use to share this bed shaking in fear from the yelling that they both produced at each other. You act as though all this is bad, but you should look at it from a lighter perspective. There’s actual peace in the Greyheart House. I don’t know about you Cyrelian, but your worries seem a bit premature or unjustified.” She said to me.
Her responses didn’t surprise me. She was always taking the positive side of things. She rarely thought negatively of anyone. Despite her inability to sit still she was very wise and mature. Though if she were to tell you there were often times that she knew here lighter side of things were misplaced. I could see that she was concerned to a degree, but as said she was more positive than I ever was. I knew that talking more about it wasn’t going to do me any good and I still sat there tugging on my hair worried and waiting for something bad to happen, though I did find joy in recalling the nights we shared my room hiding under the blankets clinching to each other as our parents voices carried throughout the house. We always felt safer when we were with each other. Since birth we were never apart.
“Cyrelian?” she simply said as I continued to sit there.
“I’m sorry Ariel. You’re probably right. It’s just…It’s just I haven’t been able to shake this feeling for the last four nights now. We’ve spent all our time together and I feel as though at any moment that will…” I was on the verge of finishing that statement as a sudden sound came from the first floor.
I quickly grabbed my sister and placed my body in front of hers as we moved back towards the window staring at my door. The sound, it sounded like thunder or the earth shaking some, but it only took a few seconds to realize that it was neither one of those as the sound of screams could be heard throughout the house. I could feel my sister’s hands and head cowering behind me in between my shoulder blades as the screams got louder and I could see her out of the corner of my eye peer over my shoulder every so often as we both watched the door waiting for someone to save us. As we stood there watching the door we noticed the knob turn and my eyes quickly glanced the room for something sharp to grab, but as the door opened we were semi relieved.
“You two keep this door locked and don’t leave until we return for you. By no means are either of you two to leave this room!” ordered our father as he stood in our doorway.
We both hollered out to him with questions but as soon as he appeared he was quickly gone and our door closed. It was the first time our father had ever shown any sign of care or concern for either of us I thought as I ran to the door and quickly locked it. Again I would glance around the room for something sharp but the only thing remotely close to a weapon was the wood poker for moving the wood around in my small fireplace. As much as this wasn’t a fighting weapon it was the only thing that I felt could protect us as I grabbed it and moved back to place myself in front of my sister waiting for our father to return or for the attacker or attackers to come rapping at our door.
“Cyrelian, I’m scared! We can’t stay in this room! If we do we’re dead!” Ariel shouted into my ears as she began to cry.
I wasn’t surprised by this in fact I expected it. As I said Ariel wasn’t one to just sit still and with our lives in danger there was no way she’d stay in one spot. But where to go I could not figure out. The fighting sounded like it was throughout the whole house and out in the hallways and the only way we could get out of our room was out my window. Just by looking at each other we knew that was the plan but which direction to go and to do it safely was a different story.
“Ariel, we can’t just go out the window.” I said as I looked both to the roof and to the ground to see if I could see any of our attackers. “Where are we to go if we get out of here and make to the ground in one piece? Logically we have no place to go.” I said, but that went ignored as Ariel was already out the window and walking along the edge towards our parent’s room. “Where are you going exactly?” I asked her as I began to join her trying really hard not to look down.
“Our parent’s room?” she quietly asked giving me that look as though she really had no idea, but I could see she felt better that she was on the move rather than standing still. “If you think about it “logically” they’ll think to look for us first in our rooms and our parents have a big enough room for us to hide in and maybe a better weapon than your wood poker.” She replied with sarcasm.
As she spoke she seemed to move faster along the edge as she hugged the outside wall of our house. With her words, I quickly dropped the wood poker and made my way towards her, though I had a bit of a harder time. It was clear though she had done this several times before in all fairness to me I’ve not done this and I let her know.
“How are you moving so fast? Can you not slow down?” I asked as I hugged the wall really tight and kept my eyes forward. It was the first time I didn’t enjoy the view of the ships in the harbor and little did I know it would be the last time I would get to see it.
“Come on you’re almost here. Just focus on my voice and the hard part will be over. And this is easy because I do it every night and more often than you or anyone knows about.” She said as to my surprise she was already in our parent’s room and though she did not show it, I could sense she was slightly amused that there was something she was more skilled at than I was.
Though it took me a bit longer I eventually found myself in our parent’s room. The sounds of swords clinging and voices echoing throughout the house were still present. We both quickly looked through the room for a weapon but as my sister pointed out, “Great no weapons. Brother you’re going to have to use some of that brute strength if someone comes in here. You know that muscle you’ve been working on?” She said again with sarcasm something she often did with me as I made my way towards our parent’s bedroom door as she continued to speak to me, “Um, where are you going? We need to hide!” she quietly shouted at me as I put my left hand up to tell her to be quite, while I reached for the door knob with my right hand.
“Shh!” I retorted to her as I turned the knob slowly. “I need to see what’s going on.” I said as I continued to slowly open the door amidst my sister scolding me. If I were to protect her I had to see what I was up against and I needed to quickly formulate a plan. I had already assumed the worst outcome and figured we were going to have to fight our way out of this house.
“Ariel, get under the bed quickly!” I said as I began to open the door further.
It was both the oddest moment and scariest moment I had ever had at the same time. When I had ordered my sister under the bed I had briefly took a quick survey of the room again and realized our mother was not in here. My mother was no fighter and like myself or how I usually am…we were always the first to bed and the first to fall asleep, but as I opened the door she was there standing in front of it. It took me a moment to notice that she had been stabbed as she staggered towards me and fell into my arms. “Mother!” I shouted as I held her in my arms, her blood soaking in my hands and seeping through the cracks of my fingers.
“Mom!” Ariel also shouted as she ran towards us, immediately covering her mouth and tearing up as she noticed she had been stabbed. For a moment I looked into my mother’s eyes and for a brief moment I could see she was happy. Surprising I know considering the events that have occurred, but as I look back on this moment, I believe she was happy to see that the both of us were still alive and together.
She slowly moved her hand from her abdomen and to my face as she caught a tear that escaped my eyes and spoke softly and it was the last time she would say anything to us or the last time we’d hear from her again.
“Cyrelian…” she began to say. Everything she said came out slowly and each word sounded as though they were painful to say. “Cyrelian promise me you’ll watch over and protect your sister. You two must get out of here and get to safety. But promise me…Promise me Cyrelian you’ll never let Ariel out of your site.” She said as my eyes connected with hers.
I attempted to respond to her but she started to speak again, but this time her words were quickened and with some haste. “The House now falls to you. Only you can set things right now. Don’t make the same mistakes your father has made. Your heart is pure, much like your grandfather’s and only you can restore the Greyheart name to what it once was…” she said then immediately returned to the promise I was to make her. “But you must not forget your sister Cyrelian. Promise me…promise you’ll watch over her.” She asked me.
I spoke quietly and swore that I would never let her out of my sight as my eyes were now fixed on the door. My breathing had become harder as the anger in me began to take over, but saying I promise was all my mother needed to hear as I could feel her body go limp in my arms. I knew she was dead. I could no longer feel her breathing and the endless tears and screams from my sister were enough to convince me and though I was angry and ready to rush out that door and avenge my mother’s death I continued to sit there with her in my arms and my sister attempting to grasp onto me looking for comfort. I couldn’t say if my sister knew I was angry and scared at the same time. I couldn’t say if she knew I had no real idea of what to do as I continued to sit there. It was evident I needed to do something and help get my sister and I out of here, but I was in shock and at that moment I could not move. I tried to use all the strength in my body to stand but I couldn’t and as I sat there staring at the door figuring out what to do the door had opened.
Standing in the doorway was one of the men who came for my father’s blood, my family’s blood, and I could only assume that he was my mother’s killer as his sword dripped with blood, but again I did nothing. I tell myself every day that all my strength was weighed down at that moment, but I believe fear had taken over and instead of attacking the armed man I sat there looking up at him as he raised his sword at Ariel and I.
“CYRELIAN!” Ariel shouted at me. It was her voice that broke this thing I was in. As though I were under some spell and it took her voice to get me motivated. I quickly set my mother down as my eyes were fixed on the man beginning to swing his sword and as I set her down and began to stand I noticed a blade peer through the man’s stomach.
“Cyrelian, Ariel we need to move quickly there are more on the way.” Said a man as he placed his foot on now the dead man’s shoulder and pulling his sword back out. It was Ser Vesstan. One of my father’s “elite” guards and the only one of them that was actually good. To our relief both Ariel and I stood grabbing at his arms and hope was felt through the both of us as we both sighed at the same time.
“Ser Vesstan. Where’s our father?” I asked as I stood up still holding on to one of his arms. He looked at me briefly then quickly knelt down and picked up the dead man’s sword. He then proceeded to grab my hand and place the hilt of the sword in it..” You’re going to need this as I will need your help fighting our way out of this mess.” He replied quickly. It was the first time I had a real metal sword in my hands. I’ve held many practice swords, but nothing as real as steel. “Vesstan! My father where is he?” I asked again.
Vesstan hesitated in his response. He moved towards the door and looked out holding onto his sword and awaiting a clear path. He glanced at me for a moment and he knew I would not move until I get a response. “Your father is dead Cyrelian. I am to get you and your sister out of here and away from the city. The ones who are here have come to kill every last member of the Greyheart family. You two are next. Now there’s no time to grief for their loss or time to stand here in fear. We need to move now and we need to move quickly.” He said.
Of all my father’s men I trusted his word the most and if he said he was going to take us to safety he was the man to do so. I wanted another question answered but before I could ask it I found myself already moving through the hallway following Vesstan’s every move, my sword in one hand, and my sister’s hand in the other. Ariel held on tightly and wouldn’t let go but each room we past and every dead body I could feel her clench up and the panic in her get worse. I’ll admit I was as scared as she was but I needed to put on a front that I was being brave. To my relief so far I did not need to fight as Vesstan had managed to literally cut his way through. Though my relief would quickly leave me as the three of us reached the door to our freedom.
There were several standing and waiting for us at the door as Vesstan put out both arms stopping both Ariel and I in our tracks and to my disbelief It was the first time I ever heard fear in Vesstan as the gulp he made was quite loud.
“Cyrelian I need your help with this one.” He quickly said as he looked at me, “There are too many for me to take on myself.” He added. “I don’t know if I can Ser Vesstan.” I replied while Ariel held unto my arm. “Cyrelian you must help me or else we will not get out of here alive. You have much to learn still but you’re more than capable of taking these guys out. They’re low paid mercenaries and their skills are no match for the pair of us.” He said as he pulled his sword out and looked at me giving me a reassuring nod.
Though I would come to learn that his words were not true, for a brief moment I did believe I could take on any danger. I would move my sister over to the pillar in our entry room and quickly kneel down, “Stay here and don’t move. Ser Vesstan needs my help.” I said as I removed my hand from her’s and quickly grabbed the hilt of my sword. Ariel looked at me for a brief moment and I could see in her eyes that she also had confidence in me and for a brief moment she seemed to be at peace. It’s a look I would not forget and a moment I would never lose as it would be the last time I’d ever see her.
“Cyrelian..” she said as she pointed to a hooded man standing in front of the door blocking our escape along with six other men, “That is the man that killed mother.” She simply said as I looked towards the man.
I’m not for certain if he really was, if she actually knew this, or if she simply said it to motivate me even further, but it did not matter. The moment she pointed him out the anger I felt in my parent’s room returned but this time I was on my feet, standing next to Vesstan and ready to attack those who stood in our way. It was a strange moment. I had never been in a real fight and everything I did with Ser Vesstan we did together in our training. No strike was different from each other. I followed every move he did, but this time I could not see how he was moving nor follow along. I would soon come to learn later on that each attack and each defense was merely out of instinct of my own as I made my way through three of the men blocking our path. What felt like the longest moment of my life was actually one of the quickest and before I knew it Vesstan and I were standing at the door with the six men lying dead on the ground.
What I had hoped to be one of my proudest moments and wanting to celebrate my first victory turned out to be my first failure as I suddenly realized as I looked up and noticed my sister and the man in the hood were gone. I was about to go back through the house, but Ser Vesstan grabbed my arm.
“They’re gone Cyrelian!” he shouted at me.
“No! Let go, I have to find her. I promised I would protect her.” I retorted as I tried to release myself from his grasp.
“Cyrelian, you do not understand. They are gone. While we fought the man in the hood managed to grab your sister and escape. I tried to fight my way to her but I regret I could not.” He said as more men appeared down the hallway and started making their way towards us.
“No she’s got to be here!” I shouted ready to fight the men coming my way.
“Cyrelian now is our only time for escape. If we don’t leave now our lives will be forfeit and the promises you made to your mother would have been in vein.” He said as he opened the door and without hesitation pulled me outside and started pushing me to run towards the road. “We must make it to a ship we’ll find safety there for a short time…from there we must leave Southshore.” He said as we began to run.
“Leave Southshore? You mean Lordaeron? Why?” I asked as we continued to run, periodically I’d look back to see my home now starting to go up in flames and searching for any sign of my sister.
“There’s more at play here Cyrelian. These men mean to destroy the Greyheart legacy and while we can hide for a night we can’t hide forever in this small town. Many have come to hate your family and the name and if you’re intended to restore things and the Greyheart name you’ll need more training.” Ser Vesstan replied as he kept moving.
“What about Ariel? I can’t leave her here.” I asked trying to keep up with his pace.
“As long as one of you remains alive the other cannot be killed. All will be explained in due time Cyrelian but now isn’t the time. We must focus on getting out of here.” He said with little explanation.
“And we’ll be safe wherever you’re taking me?” I asked as our running turned to jogging as we got closer to the harbor.
“No, we’ll have some running to do before we’re able to settle down, but once we’re fully at sea you’re training will begin as will your quest to claim what is yours.” He said as he started to knock on a door that we reached once we gotten into the city. While he waited for it to open he looked to me for a moment as I looked back towards the road.
“You have a strong heart and a strong sense of justice Cyrelian and you have more strength and will than you give yourself credit for. The days ahead will be tough but I need your complete trust in me and your dedication without them you may never see your sister again.” Were his final words to me that night as the door opened to an elderly woman.
Vesstan did not have to say a word as she let us quickly enter and for the next hour they talked about what had happened. I said nothing the rest of that evening and though I was told to get some sleep it would not happen as I watched out the window. Watching and searching for any sign of my sister and trying to sense her presence, and while the night dragged on I looked down at the necklace hanging from my neck, gliding my thumb across its smooth surface I said all I could conjure up.
“I promise I will return for you Ariel. I will not stop breathing until I have found you…”
